Peat's body position in the photo illustrates very well the right body position for 90% of corners/off camber sections - bend your knees and keep your upper body straight. Like in skiing.

Going into a corner with your outside pedal low is effective if you're trying to conserve energy, or if your saddle is too high for a more aggressive approach...but your OP asks about more aggressive technique so I say, for most corners most of the time, "pedals level".

You're probably right - I'm trying to find a photo of an XC rider applying bent knees cornering technique I describe above and there aren't any...if a quick google image search for Tinker Juarez is representative...

There was a cracking photo someone put on here of Cadel Evans taken from behind, flat out at the apex of a corner with his bike almost horizontal. His saddle was way high up and from memory his outside foot was indeed way low. So if it works for him...

Peat's body position in the photo illustrates very well the right body position for 90% of corners/off camber sections

no it doesn't all it does is show that when pulling rad barturns a knocked-knee stance will deter from your radness so much your average XC mincer won't even notice you've raised the front wheel off the ground!

there are faster cornerers than Peaty who visually have quite a different style.

You can tell from their body positions that the saddle is instrumental in their position, there's no way you could emulate Petey's position.

that's rubbish! - peaty corners with the same style riding XC with his seat at full height as he does riding DH, he clearly won't be able to squat down as low but all the rest of his style is the same.

Back to the original point of this thread.Fettling said he would like to get top 20 but lacks the skills to do so. However, looking at his lap times,if he'd kept his first lap pace up he would have got 19th spot.So while its true better skills would help you could say you just need to get a bit fitter.(easier said than done though!)
And yes njee,i think GW could start an argument in a telephonebox!

Try and ride with some riders who are a bit quicker than you on the downhills. Follow their lines, see what they are doing with their body positions. Good riders are moving constantly and keeping the speed up.

I was lucky enough to ride with Steve Peat a few years back, learnt quite a bit from him, especially a few small things that help maintain speed on singletrack.

Confidence is very important, so the more you can ride something the more confident you are likely to become.

Probably agree pete68, a little more fitness required. I have worked out a 3 point battle plan;

1. Work on endureance fitness during the holidays, at least 1 long road ride a week.
2. Work on out of the saddle stamina, I distinctly remember being out the saddle more on lap one, but not having the strength to keep it up.
3. Ride behind Dave Larkin next week coopying his every move to pick up some skills.

4. Don't go out drinking before the next race! It's got to have made a few places difference.

So you went out on the pop , and came in a respectable 25th, and then you moan .
Try a 48hr alcohol abstinance around racing and heavy training days .
Eat properly , and carb up before a long race like the BM's.
Rotate your brake levers so they are almost horizontal
'Float' over your saddle and head up / heel down through fast corners
Look through the corner at the vanishing point of the next section , not the lycra covered ass of the rider in front .
Now , Not sure on next point , but try either.- Twist torso , upper body and shoulders to either 'Apex' or 'Exit' as you enter the corner, not sure which is best but see what feels right.
Check you have not got too slow rebound on your forks as they might be tucking under and this will not inspire confidence.

I'm by no means an expert but I've recently discovered two key things that have improved my general riding (especially my cornering) massively.

They are 'look well ahead' and 'strive for perfect balance on the bike' It's almost become a mantra for me.

I always thought I looked far enough ahead but I did't and as soon as I did I speeded up. Switching to a hardtail from a full suss made me more aware of balance and the benefits of being in that perfect attack position. These two things have for me at least helped my cornering. Now I attack corners at speed out of the saddle daring my bike to lose grip. Sometimes if I get my weight in just the right place I can get the back wheel to drift out on loose corners which is the best feeling in the world.